Trump Admin Wants To Allow Debt Collectors To Harass You As Much As They Want Online, Call 7 Times A Week

President Donald Trump speaks during a event on medical billing in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Thursday, May 9, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

As if Americans don’t already have enough stress in their lives, it seems The Trump Administration is on a continual mission to add more. Last week, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) proposed updates to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

The new rules would allow debt collectors to call consumers 7 times a week and send unlimited texts and emails, reported the Washington Post. The proposal is also examining the use of social media by creditors.

The CFPB believes the new rules will give consumers “clear protections against harassment by debt collectors and straightforward options to address or dispute debts.”

However, consumer advocates are concerned they could give creditors known for their high pressure, scare tactics new ways to violate consumers’ privacy, the Post reported.

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David Phillips is an Illinois attorney who has filed dozens
of lawsuits against debt collectors. In an interview with the Post he said, “People
are able to ignore phone calls, and that is the thing debt collectors don’t
like … It’s as if a debt collector is able to show up at your house and pound
on the door. That is the effect of a text message.”

The CFPB heralds the proposal as an attempt “to ensure we
have clear rules of the road where consumers know their rights and debt collectors
know their limitations.”

It seems more like an attempt to give the debt collection
industry that much more power to harass citizens struggling under the burden of
financial debt. And if they have more than one debt, that stress intensifies
said Linda Jun, senior policy counsel at Americans for Financial Reform.